Tony Salmelainen
Encyclopedia
Tony Salmelainen is a Finnish professional ice hockey
forward
who plays for Genève-Servette HC
and formerly for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl
in the Russian Super League. He was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers
as their second-round pick in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft
.
Salmelainen started his ice hockey career as a junior player in the Blues organisation, and moved to HIFK
for his SM-liiga
debut in the 1999-2000 season. In an eventful debut, Salmelainen scored his first goal in his very first shift, and was injured later in the game. He played 19 games for HIFK next season, and transferred to Ilves
to get more ice time.
After two seasons with Ilves, Salmelainen moved to North America, where he spent three years with the Edmonton Oilers
organization, playing in 13 NHL
games in the 2003–04 NHL season.
When the NHL
resumed play in 2005, Salmelainen returned to HIFK. He played an excellent season, including setting a personal record by scoring a five-goal, six-point night against the Pelican
s in a home game on October 10, and culminating in being chosen best player of the regular season after leading the league in points and goals.
Salmelainen also made headlines during the 2005–06 season when he was sent off during a game against HPK, and threw a trashcan down the corridor to the dressing rooms in anger. After narrowly missing goaltender Jan Lundell
, the trashcan accidentally hit his team's bus driver, who was injured in the face. Salmelainen was interrogated by the police and received a two-game suspension.
Salmelainen's NHL player rights were traded from the Edmonton Oilers to the Chicago Blackhawks
for defensman Jaroslav Špaček
on January 26, 2006. In the summer of 2006, he signed a new contract with the Blackhawks. On June 16, 2007, he was traded, with Jassen Cullimore
, to the Montreal Canadiens
in exchange of Sergei Samsonov
.
On August 31, 2007, the Toronto Maple Leafs
signed Salmelainen to a one year, two-way contract
.
On October 23, 2007, Tony Salmelainen was suspended by the Toronto Maple Leafs for failing to comply with the terms of his contract. It was reported that he had signed to play for Yaroslavl Lokomotiv of the Russian Super League for almost $1.5-million (U.S.).
His father, Tommi Salmelainen
, was the first European ever to be drafted by an NHL team.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
forward
Forward (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a forward is a player position on the ice whose primary responsibility is to score goals. Generally, the forwards try to stay in three different lanes, also known as thirds, of the ice going from goal to goal. It is not mandatory however, to stay in a lane. Staying in a lane aids in...
who plays for Genève-Servette HC
Genève-Servette HC
Genève-Servette HC, is a professional ice hockey team based in Geneva, Switzerland and compete in National League A.-History:* 1905 : Foundation of Servette FC's ice hockey section....
and formerly for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl
Hockey Club Lokomotiv , also known as Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, is a Russian professional ice hockey team based in Yaroslavl. The name of the team is derived from its owner, Russian Railways, the national railroad operator....
in the Russian Super League. He was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
as their second-round pick in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft
1999 NHL Entry Draft
The 1999 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 26 at the FleetCenter in Boston, Massachusetts. According to Sports Illustrated and other sports news agencies, at the time the 1999 draft was considered one of the deepest in talent in years, headed by Patrik Stefan and the Sedin twins. However, the...
.
Salmelainen started his ice hockey career as a junior player in the Blues organisation, and moved to HIFK
HIFK (ice hockey)
HIFK is an ice hockey team based in Helsinki, Finland. The team plays at Helsinki Ice Hall. It was founded in 1897...
for his SM-liiga
SM-liiga
The SM-liiga is the top professional ice hockey league in Finland. As of March 2008, it is ranked by the IIHF as the second strongest league in Europe. It was created in 1975 to replace the SM-sarja, which was fundamentally an amateur league. The SM-liiga is not directly overseen by the Finnish Ice...
debut in the 1999-2000 season. In an eventful debut, Salmelainen scored his first goal in his very first shift, and was injured later in the game. He played 19 games for HIFK next season, and transferred to Ilves
Ilves
Ilves is a Finnish sports club nowadays mostly known for their youth work. The ice hockey team plays in the SM-liiga at the Tampereen jäähalli in Hakametsä...
to get more ice time.
After two seasons with Ilves, Salmelainen moved to North America, where he spent three years with the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
organization, playing in 13 NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
games in the 2003–04 NHL season.
When the NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
resumed play in 2005, Salmelainen returned to HIFK. He played an excellent season, including setting a personal record by scoring a five-goal, six-point night against the Pelican
Pelican
A pelican, derived from the Greek word πελεκυς pelekys is a large water bird with a large throat pouch, belonging to the bird family Pelecanidae....
s in a home game on October 10, and culminating in being chosen best player of the regular season after leading the league in points and goals.
Salmelainen also made headlines during the 2005–06 season when he was sent off during a game against HPK, and threw a trashcan down the corridor to the dressing rooms in anger. After narrowly missing goaltender Jan Lundell
Jan Lundell
Jan Lundell is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing in IFK Helsinki of the SM-liiga....
, the trashcan accidentally hit his team's bus driver, who was injured in the face. Salmelainen was interrogated by the police and received a two-game suspension.
Salmelainen's NHL player rights were traded from the Edmonton Oilers to the Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
for defensman Jaroslav Špaček
Jaroslav Spacek
Jaroslav Spacek is a Czech professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
on January 26, 2006. In the summer of 2006, he signed a new contract with the Blackhawks. On June 16, 2007, he was traded, with Jassen Cullimore
Jassen Cullimore
Jassen A. Cullimore is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently playing for the Iserlohn Roosters in the DEL in Germany.-Playing career:...
, to the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
in exchange of Sergei Samsonov
Sergei Samsonov
Sergei Viktorovich Samsonov is a Russian professional ice hockey forward who is currently an unrestricted free agent.- Playing career :Samsonov was drafted by the Boston Bruins eighth overall in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft. Boston drafted Joe Thornton first overall in the same draft...
.
On August 31, 2007, the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
signed Salmelainen to a one year, two-way contract
Two-way contract
A two-way contract is a professional sports contract which stipulates that an athlete’s salary is dependent upon the league in which the athlete is assigned to play in...
.
On October 23, 2007, Tony Salmelainen was suspended by the Toronto Maple Leafs for failing to comply with the terms of his contract. It was reported that he had signed to play for Yaroslavl Lokomotiv of the Russian Super League for almost $1.5-million (U.S.).
His father, Tommi Salmelainen
Tommi Salmelainen
Tommi Salmelainen is a Finnish hockey left winger who played for HIFK. He was the first ever European drafted in the NHL Entry Draft in 1969 although he never did play in the National Hockey League. He was taken by the St...
, was the first European ever to be drafted by an NHL team.
Awards
- Lasse Oksanen trophyLasse Oksanen trophyThe Lasse Oksanen trophy is an ice hockey trophy awarded by the Finnish SM-liiga to the best player of the season during regular season play.Trophy winners:1948-49: Unto Wiitala 1953-54: Unto Wiitala...
for best player during the regular season - 2006 - Aarne Honkavaara trophyAarne Honkavaara trophyThe Aarne Honkavaara trophy is an ice hockey trophy given by the Finnish SM-liiga to the player who scores the most goals during regular season play.Trophy Winners:1977-78: Markku Kiimalainen 1978-79: Kari Makkonen...
for best goal scorer during the regular season - 2006 - Veli-Pekka Ketola trophyVeli-Pekka Ketola trophyThe Veli-Pekka Ketola trophy is an ice hockey trophy awarded by the Finnish SM-liiga to the player who scores the most points during regular season play.To date, Steve Kariya and Martin Kariya are the only two brothers to win the title.Trophy winners:...
for most points scored during the regular season - 2006
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1999–00 | HIFK HIFK (ice hockey) HIFK is an ice hockey team based in Helsinki, Finland. The team plays at Helsinki Ice Hall. It was founded in 1897... |
SM-liiga SM-liiga The SM-liiga is the top professional ice hockey league in Finland. As of March 2008, it is ranked by the IIHF as the second strongest league in Europe. It was created in 1975 to replace the SM-sarja, which was fundamentally an amateur league. The SM-liiga is not directly overseen by the Finnish Ice... |
1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2000–01 | HIFK | SM-liiga | 19 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2000–01 | Ilves | SM-liiga | 26 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2001–02 | Ilves | SM-liiga | 49 | 10 | 9 | 19 | 30 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2002–03 | Hamilton Bulldogs Hamilton Bulldogs The Hamilton Bulldogs are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, at Copps Coliseum, nicknamed 'The Dog Pound'. They are the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Montreal Canadiens... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
67 | 14 | 19 | 33 | 14 | 17 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 0 | ||
| 2003–04 | Toronto Roadrunners Toronto Roadrunners The Toronto Roadrunners were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Toronto, Ontario, Canada at the Ricoh Coliseum. In their only season the Roadrunners featured players such as Jani Rita, Jamie Wright and Steve Valiquette who helped them advance to the AHL playoffs where... |
AHL | 58 | 19 | 25 | 44 | 27 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2003–04 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 13 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2004–05 | Edmonton Road Runners Edmonton Road Runners The Edmonton Road Runners were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada at Rexall Place.-History:... |
AHL | 76 | 22 | 24 | 46 | 26 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2005–06 | HIFK | SM-liiga | 53 | 27 | 28 | 55 | 63 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 2006–07 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 57 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 26 | |||||||
| NHL Totals | 70 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 30 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||||
External links
- Tony Salmelainen on nhlfinns.com